Greetings from a 1949 Alumnus

By Dr. James D. Meffen ’49

I hope I don’t qualify as the “ancient of ancients,” but I was a new student back in 1945 at Gordon’s Fenway campus.

I remember former president Dr. Nathan Wood and his wife as the two who stood together and maintained a welcoming campus for us rookies. I worked my way through Gordon—on the kitchen staff on campus, and also at various jobs around the Boston area as a Gordon student.

After graduating I spent one year at Gordon Seminary, then Harvard Divinity School. I served as a pastor for several years before joining the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and again pastored after my discharge. I developed some disabilities from my time in the military which later allowed me to serve as director for several schools for handicapped dyslexic children.

I retired 20 years later and moved to Australia, where I now live with my wonderful Christian wife. Life over here is much different than that in the U.S., but we still praise the Lord for His wonderful leadership in our lives. I may be the most distant of Gordon’s alumni, but am sincerely thanking God for Gordon.

Gordon College is one of the nation's premier Christian colleges and located just north of Boston. We offer students extraordinary access to leading-edge opportunities for intellectual, professional, and leadership development to address the increasingly complex challenges of a global society. Gordon stands apart from other outstanding institutions in New England by combining an exceptional education with an informed Christian faith.